WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) was named Vice-Chair of the Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance. In a statement to the media, Axne said “During my first two years in Congress, it has been my privilege to work with my Committee colleagues to support improving the safety and affordability of housing, and it is my honor to be named as Vice Chair of the Housing, Community Development and Insurance Subcommittee.

“This past year has shown how absolutely critical housing is to the health and prosperity of American families, and I look forward to working with our Chairs and with members on both sides of the aisle to continue crafting and advancing policies that will help improve access to affordable housing, promote equity, and ensure that rural and urban communities alike have the resources to invest in the success of their residents.”

Her office says Rep. Axne has used her position on the subcommittee to support improved housing access and increased investments in affordable housing, and to advocate for the tens of thousands of Iowans that work in the insurance industry. Earlier this year, two Rep. Axne bills aimed at supporting Iowa’s homeowners and renters were included in the American Rescue Plan, a COVID-19 relief package that included over $30 billion in housing support. The House also recently passed legislation authored by Rep. Axne to preserve affordable housing options in rural areas. 

Rep. Axne is also a member of the Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets

The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by NISHNANET on Thursday, May 20^th, 2021. The Ambassadors learned more about NISHNANET’s goals and expansion with their new 514 Chestnut store.

NISHNANET came to serve the rural Atlantic and Audubon counties in 2018. Since then, NISHNANET has expanded to serve over 300 customers providing them with low cost, high-speed internet, fiber optics, phone service, tech support, and more.

With the opening of their new Customer Service hub at 514 Chestnut Street, NISHNANET will be able to better support their existing customers and non-customers alike by providing internet technology support and high-quality technology retail. Scott Bennett, owner, shared that with this store, the company can answer questions in a detailed way and offer unique support in which when a customer purchases an item, the employee will configure the device and when the customer returns home, the device will work providing one on one customer support.

With NISHNANET’s new walk-in space, the question is raised, “What will be done with their original location at 2 East 6^th Street?” Scott explained that with Cass/Atlantic Development’s help, they plan to turn their previous space into a “shared workspace.” A shared workspace allows those that work remotely to have access to a desk, telephone line, fast internet, printer, etc. The spaces can be rented with the purchase of a membership. More details will be released as the space comes together in July.

To keep up with NISHNANET, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nishnanet and be sure to check out the new space located at 514 Chestnut Street.

NISHNANET can also be reached at 712-243-2497.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests. On May 14th, 34-year-old Reciever Berdon, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1^st offense.  Berdon was transported to Cass County Jail and was later released on his ow recognizance.

And, on May 17th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 37-year-old Ryan Joel Castle, of Griswold, on two Cass County warrants for probation violations.   Castle was transported from the Pottawattamie County Jail to the Cass County Jail where he is being held on $40,000 bond.

“All criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Republican-led Iowa legislature passed a second round of election law changes this week, including limits on who can take someone else’s absentee ballot to the county auditor’s office. Senator Roby Smith, a Republican from Bettendorf, says there are all sorts of security provisions once an absentee ballot reaches a county auditor’s office, but without these changes, anyone can grab someone’s absentee ballot and claim they’ll deliver it.

“It was treated like a Kleenex. There’s no security when someone can knock on your door. ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll return your ballot,'” Smith says. “You don’t know who it is. They can open it up. They change the vote. They can throw it away. They could shred it.” Family members may deliver a relative’s absentee ballot and any registered voter in Iowa can help two blind or disabled voters deliver their absentee ballot to the county auditor’s office.

Political parties, unions and campaigns cannot have paid representatives or volunteers collect absentee ballots. Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque and all the Democrats present Wednesday opposed the bill. “One more nail in democracy’s coffin,” Jochum said. “You’ve been working overtime, pal…to make sure you are creating an obstacle course for Iowa’s voters.” Senator James Carlin, a Republican from Sioux City, says the FEDERAL election law congress has proposed is designed to facilitate fraud and Iowa needs strong state rules.

“I like knowing that the people who are voting are who they say they are,” Carlin said, “and my trust issue, whatever it is, has really been triggered since Election Day.” Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says Republicans are using former President Trump’s claims of a rigged election as their guide for this year’s election-related bills. “What you’re doing is all based on a premise of a lie,” Bisignano said. “It’s a big lie.”

The election bill Republicans approved on the 2021 legislative session’s final day covers a wide range of issues. It stipulates 17-year-olds who’ve registered to vote because they’ll be 18 by Election Day are not to be removed when voters are cut from registration lists if they haven’t cast a ballot in the last General Election. That problem cropped up as a result of the election law passed earlier in the legislative session.